Uber Disarms Drivers, Passengers To Make Them “Comfortable”

San Francisco-based Uber, the Internet ride-sharing app that operates in over 250 cities, has announced that it is banning both drivers and passengers from carrying firearms to make them feel more “comfortable.”

Uber joins Lyft, another ride-sharing app, in banning lawful gun possession. The policies do not explain why either company fears lawful gun owners, whom studies have shown to be more law-abiding than the general population.

Inexplicably, Uber’s policy change follows the actions of a heroic Chicago Uber driver who, on April 21, shot a man who was firing at a group of pedestrians. Prosecutors declined to press charges against the driver, who possessed a concealed-carry permit, saying he acted in defense of himself and others.

Meanwhile, the corporate change has not made drivers and passengers safer: On June 25, a man armed with a rifle robbed a NYC Uber driver while on a late-night pickup in Queens.

Gun Owner Protects Baby From Vicious Dog

An infant in Culpeper, Va., was hospitalized after being bitten in the abdomen by a wolf hybrid dog that may have belonged to someone in the area. The dog briefly left after the attack but soon returned to the scene—this time, however, an armed homeowner opened fire on it and drove it away.

Police are searching for the dog, which was last seen escaping to an open field.

Armed Citizen Interrupts Burglary In Connecticut

A burglar who saw an empty home as an invitation was surprised when the homeowner showed up to confront him. The Windsor Locks, Conn., resident was away last Friday night when he received a call around 10 p.m. informing him that someone was attempting to break into his house. After rushing home and seeing that his garage window had been forced open, the resident found the intruder still on the premises. During the ensuing struggle, the homeowner pulled out his handgun and fired one shot at the burglar, who quickly fled in the direction of a nearby neighborhood.

Though witnesses in that neighborhood reported seeing a white Chevy sedan with no tags leaving the area at high speeds, the suspect remains at large, and it is unknown whether he was injured in the fracas. The homeowner was unharmed.

A Little Good News In Nevada And Mississippi

Twenty-three states now have CCW reciprocity in Nevada, thanks to the action of Gov. Brian Sandoval. With the signing into law of Senate Bill 175, a Mississippi “Enhanced” permit is now accepted as a valid credential in the Silver State.

Mississippi is one of three states on the Nevada list that has multiple permitting levels; the other two are Idaho and North Dakota. While it’s always nice to see permitted carry expand, we still hope for the day when reciprocity will pass at the federal level. With training requirements and background checks as they are, it seems odd that such hoops nevertheless remain.

New York Democrats Block Pro-Gun Reforms To SAFE Act

Although legislation (S05837) reforming New York state’s anti-gun SAFE Act was approved with bipartisan support in the state Senate earlier this month, both houses of the legislature in Albany adjourned this week without reaching a deal to pass the bill.

The so-called “SAFE Act,” which was rammed through the Albany statehouse with little time for deliberation or debate following the tragedy at Sandy Hook, imposed a variety of onerous new anti-gun restrictions, including a ban on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, centralized reporting and registration of ammunition sales, registration of semi-automatic firearms and their owners, an expansion of the definition of banned “assault weapons,” and more.

Although some Republicans won their elections last year by pledging to repeal or reform the SAFE Act, they were unable to win over enough Democrats in the state Assembly to pass the same legislation that had already cleared the Senate.

NRA Foundation License Plates Proposed In Kentucky

Kentucky NRA members might soon be able to sport a brand-new NRA Foundation license plate on their vehicles.

The NRA Foundation recently submitted an application to the state for the new license plate. If approved by the state’s license plate committee, the foundation would have two years to collect signatures and a $25 fee from 900 supporters to begin production of the plate.

The NRA Foundation is the country's leading charitable organization in support of the shooting sports, having awarded thousands of grants in support of educational programs since its inception in 1990. The foundation supports organizations and programs that ensure the continuation of our proud shooting and hunting heritage with grants benefitting programs such as youth education, law enforcement training, hunter education, conservation, firearms and marksmanship training and safety, and much more.